Discussion Forum

I am a new member. It is nice to see an interest group in this area, after all energy is what runs the world and fossil fuels have proven to be a dead-end especially in their mega-industrial usage…Continue

I am wanting to build a bicycle powered generator. Anyone interested in helping me? I have an old, small gas powered generator with a blown engine, I was going to try to use that as the generator.…Continue

I'd like to include discussions regarding biogas generation in this group, if no one objects.Brian from Inspiration Farms and I have discussed and plan on building a small scale biogas digester this…Continue

Hi there...I co-ordinate the Bellingham Chapter of Solar WA which educates the public on renewable energy options.See the list of classes below on renewable energy that are excellent. If you are just…Continue

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There are a couple interesting new things being hatched by activists at Power Past Coal: an investigation into creating a Municipal Energy district for B'ham as an alternative to PSE, and an effort to reverse the County moratorium on wind energy; to get involved contact Matt Petryni at http://www.re-sources.org/gpt

Thanks Laura. I'm familiar with Jeff. I'll be getting my panels throught him. I found the person who can help me... Travis. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that right off. Sometimes I have a hard time seeing what's right under my nose.

I'm in search of a local plumber, mechanical engineer or alternative energy geek with solar hot water & hydronic heating knowledge. I'm aware of Chris Soler. Unfortunately he is too busy with other endeavors. Any ideas?

I would be interested in member's ideas of uses for this local inexpensive energy we will eventually generate. If we had it what would we do with it? One idea I had was electroplating. I've seen where people silver plated baby shoes, etc. With gold and silver rising steadily against our ever more worthless paper money this could be worthwhile. It could also be dangerous if not approached carefully by knowledgeable persons. Are there any such persons available to assist? Other ideas??

Cyclists! Please Attend the Bellingham City Council Meeting This Monday!Bellingham City Council is considering installing bike lanes on Dupont, Elm and Northwest Ave to the I-5 underpass. This could be one of the biggest bike projects ever in Bellingham. But, it is not a done deal. You can help make it happen. Please come to the city council meeting on Monday, February 7th, 7pm for just 20-30 minutes. Please arrive a few minutes early.

Hey, how about a little background? Council has already voted to begin this process. But there are challenges ahead. The Public Works Department, which is responsible for designing and installing the project, will bring forward a design in March or April for a “stakeholders meeting.” A strong show of support from the cycling community NOW, before the design is done, is critical. There is no action for this issue on the council agenda this Monday. We will show up in huge numbers, including you. Only myself and one other need to speak at the open comment period (first thing) and then we all go to The Cabin or The Grand for a refreshing beverage and general merriment.So, what’s our message to council?

Most importantly: our message is positive. Our message has four parts:Thank you for installing bike lanes on Cornwall Ave.;Thank you for considering bike lanes on NW/Elm/Dupont;Encourage Public Works to strive for a design that works for cyclists AND that works for the folks who live and do business on these streets who will see some change to their streetscape. A good design could make this a win for everyone. That’s why getting in the game early is so important. The last, and most important, part of our message is unspoken. That is: there are a LOT of cyclists in Bellingham. That’s why you are so important.Only the two designated speakers should sign up and speak. We don’t want to browbeat them or take too long, we just want to be very clear that there are a lot of us in support. When the first speaker mentions the cyclists of Bellingham, put on your helmet. A little theatre helps make the message stick.I could write much more but, right now I just want to get this invitation and request for help out to as many people as possible. Please spread the word to those cyclists who you think might come out. If you have questions or want to talk about this effort please feel free to contact me. I really hope to see you there. We need you. -Dan-- Please contact me with questions: Dan Remsen BellinghamBikes@gmail.com

I haven't heard anything about torpedo motors; I have always tried to stay away from anything to do with weaponry. Very interesting though. So much for technology created for warfare getting into the mainstream. If it is so much more efficient, it would probably put out of business the giant auto manufacturers or some other part of the corporate machinery that is paying off our politicians. If anyone knows something about this device, feel free to let us know!

Good to see another technical mind on board Jeffrey. In time perhaps we may get past toys of curiosity and create real life changing ideas. I agree with the concept of identifying uses for power.
There is so much almost free power that has essentially no physical peak availability. Whether oil will peak as a result of available supplies or as a result of a transition to more viable technologies is not certain.
A couple years ago many told me my interest in practical electric cars was at least a decade in the future. As of right now there are at least a dozen major companies preparing to mass produce electric vehicles. My belief is we should not hunker down like little green weenies but reach out for the new conquests while learning from past excesses of ever more powerful governments and greedy corporate entities.